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Do I need to stop feeding my game fish for the winter? If so, when and what will they eat when I stop?
Missy – Racine, WI

When water temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, game fish activity slows down significantly – and their appetites slow down too. At that point, they’re capable of finding plenty of food in their habitat, making it unnecessary to continue feeding.

In a chilly winter pond, game fish are perfectly happy to forage for their meals. During the down season, they snack lightly on pond plants and small organisms, gaining sufficient energy to weather the winter until feeding season resumes. Game fish, it seems, never lose their natural ability to find the food they need. They make the most of their senses of smell and sight to track down necessary nutrients, and do their part to keep their pond clean until it reopens in the spring.

But when spring comes, and water temperatures climb above 40 degrees, their appetites return with a vengeance. They’ll be looking to you for sustenance – and nothing gets their mouths watering more effectively than our Game Fish Grower Fish Food. Scientifically balanced to suit the nutritional needs of bass, bluegill, trout and perch, this superfood creates a strong, healthy fish population, and ensures that your stock is in great shape for fishing season.

Chances are there is still a little bit of algae or something growing in the pond for them to feed from. When temperatures drop their feeding will also decrease as well as their digestion. Koi and goldfish are resilient and it is better to allow them to feed a little off algae this time of year then to try and bulk them up when they aren’t able to digest food quickly.

Seems your koi are already sending the message that they are ready to bunk down for the winter. You can switch to a wheatgerm based food if you haven’t already or stop feeding them all together. Feeding can be slowed for even stopped once water temperatures are less then 50 degrees. This is the time when the fish will slow down and begin their dormancy for the winter months.